2 Samuel 19

1 It was told Joab, "Look, the king weeps and mourns for Absalom."

And it was told Joab, —Lo! the king, is weeping and mourning over Absolom.

2 The victory that day was turned into mourning to all the people; for the people heard it said that day, "The king grieves for his son."

So the victory, on that day, was turned into mourning, with all the people, —for the people heard, on that day, saying, The king is distressed for his son.

3 So the people went quietly into the city that day, the way that people who are humiliated creep away when fleeing in battle.

And the people stole away, on that day, to go into the city, —as people steal away who are put to shame, when they flee in battle.

4 The king covered his face, and he cried with a loud voice, "My son Absalom, Absalom, my son."

But, the king, muffled his face, and the king made outcry, with a loud voice, —O my son Absolom, O Absolom, my son, my son!

5 Then Joab went into the house to the king, and said, "Today you have humiliated the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and of your daughters and the lives of your wives and the lives of your secondary wives;

Then came Joab unto the king, in the house, —and said—Thou hast, to-day, covered with shame the faces of all thy servants, who have rescued thy life to-day, and the lives of thy sons and thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

6 by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you. For you know that if Absalom were alive today, and all of us had died, then you would be pleased.

by loving them who hated thee, and hating them who loved thee, —for thou hast declared, to-day, that, nothing to thee, are princes or servants, for I perceive, to-day, that, if, Absolom, had lived, and, all we, to-day had died, that, then, it had been right in thine eyes.

7 Now therefore get up, go out and speak kindly to your servants. For I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you this night, and that will be worse for you than all the evil that has happened to you from your youth until now."

Now, therefore, rise—go forth, and speak unto the heart of thy servants, —for, by Yahweh, have I sworn, that, if thou do not go forth, not a man shall tarry with thee to-night, and this will be to thee, a greater misfortune, than all the misfortune that hath come upon thee from thy youth until now.

8 So the king got up and sat at the gate. And all the people were informed, saying, "Look, the king is sitting at the gate." And all the people came before the king. Meanwhile, Israel had fled each man to his tent.

So the king arose, and took his seat in the gate, —and, to all the people, was it told, saying—Lo! the king, is sitting in the gate. Then came all the people before the king, but, Israel, had fled every man to his home.

9 All the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land and from being over his kingdom.

And it came to pass that all the people were reproaching one another, throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, —the king, delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and, he, rescued us out of the hand of the Philistines, but, now, he hath fled out of the land, away from Absolom;

10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you not speak a word of bringing the king back?" And the talk of all Israel came to the king.

and, Absolom, whom we anointed over us, hath died in the battle. Now, therefore, why are, ye, silent as to bringing back the king?

11 So king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the cohanim, saying, "Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace?

And, King David, sent unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak ye unto the elders of Judah, saying, Wherefore should ye be behindhand, in bringing back the king unto his home, —seeing that, the speech of all Israel, hath come unto the king, regarding his home?

12 You are my brothers, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?'

Mine own brethren, are ye, my bone and my flesh, are ye, —wherefore then should ye be behindhand in bringing back the king?

13 And say to Amasa, 'Aren't you my bone and my flesh? Now then, God do so to me, and more also, if you aren't commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab. '"

And, unto Amasa, shall ye say, Art not, thou, my bone and my flesh? So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if thou become not, prince of the army, before me continually, instead of Joab.

14 Thus the heart of all the men of Judah was inclined as one man, so that they sent a message to the king, "Return, you and all your servants."

Thus bowed he the heart of all the men of Judah, as one man, —and they sent unto the king, Return, thou, and all thy servants.

15 So the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, having come down to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.

Then the king returned, and came as far as the Jordan, —and, Judah, came to Gilgal, to go and meet the king, to escort the king over the Jordan.

16 And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David,

Then hastened Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, —and came down, with the men of Judah, to meet King David.

17 and a thousand men from Benjamin with him. But Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, waded through the Jordan ahead of the king,

And, a thousand men, were with him, out of Benjamin, Ziba also, servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants, with him, —and they went through the Jordan, before the king.

18 and did the work of bringing the king across and to do whatever he wished. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, when he crossed the Jordan.

But the ferry-boat kept crossing, to bring over the household of the king, and to do what was good in his eyes. And, Shimei, son of Gera, fell down before the king, when he had passed over the Jordan;

19 Then he said to the king, "May my lord not consider punishment. Do not remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king left Jerusalem, so that the king should call it to mind.

and he said unto the king—Let not my lord impute to me iniquity, neither do thou remember the perverseness of thy servant, on the day that thou wentest out, my lord O king, from Jerusalem, that the king should lay it upon his heart.

20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, look, I have come today the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king."

For thy servant doth know, that, I, sinned, —lo! therefore, I have arrived to-day, as the first of all the house of Joseph, to come down to meet my lord the king.

21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah replied, "Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?"

Then responded Abishai, son of Zeruiah, and said, For this, shall not Shimei be put to death, for that he cursed the Anointed of Yahweh?

22 But David replied, "What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should become my adversaries today? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? For do you not know that today I begin to rule over Israel?"

But David said, What have I in common with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, for ye would become to me, to-day, a very traitor! Shall there, to-day, be put to death a man in Israel? for do I not know, that, to-day, I, am king over Israel?

23 Then the king said to Shimei, "You will not die." And the king gave him his oath.

Then said the king unto Shimei—Thou shalt not die. And the king sware to him.

24 Now Mippibaal son of Jonathan son of Saul came down to meet the king, and he had neither cared for his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back safely.

And, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, —he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.

25 And it happened when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mippibaal?"

And it came to pass, when he entered Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest thou not with me, Mephibosheth.

26 So he answered, "My lord king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said to him, 'Saddle a donkey for me so that I may ride on it and go with the king,' for your servant is lame.

And he said, My lord, O king, my servant, betrayed me, —for thy servant said—I will even saddle me mine ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king, for, lame, is thy servant.

27 And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king did that which was good in my eyes, like an angel of God.

And he hath slandered thy servant, unto my lord the king, —but, my lord the king, is as a messenger of God, do therefore what is good in thine own eyes.

28 For though all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, yet you placed your servant among those who eat at your table. From whom, then, could I have finer treatment?" But when he cried out to the king,

For, when all the house of my father were nothing better than dead men, unto my lord the king, then didst thou set thy servant among them that used to eat at thy table, —what then have I further, by way of right, or to cry out any further unto the king?

29 the king said, "Why do you multiply your words? I say: You and Ziba divide the property."

Then the king said unto him, Wherefore shouldst thou speak any further of thine affairs? I have said—Thou and Ziba, shall share the land.

30 And Mippibaal said to the king, "Yes, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home."

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Even the whole, let him take, —now that my lord the king hath entered, in peace, into his own house.

31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went with the king to conduct him from the Jordan.

And, Barzillai the Gileadite, came down from Rogelim, —and passed, with the king, over the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan.

32 Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had provided for the king while he was staying at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.

Now, Barzillai, was very aged, eighty years old, —and, he himself, had sustained the king, throughout his sojourn in Mahanaim, for he was, an exceeding great man.

33 And the king said to Barzillai, "Come over with me, and I will provide for your old age in Jerusalem with me."

So then the king said unto Barzillai, —Thou, come over with me, and I will sustain thee with me, in Jerusalem.

34 But Barzillai said to the king, "How many more days would I have there, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

But Barzillai said unto the king, —Like unto what, are the days of the years of my life, that I should come up with the king, to Jerusalem.

35 I am now eighty years old. Can I discern between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear the voice of male and female singers? Why then should your servant be any further burden to my lord the king?

Eighty years old, am I to-day—could I discern between good and bad? or could thy servant taste what I might eat, and what I might drink? or could I hearken any more to the voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore, then, should thy servant yet be a burden unto my lord the king?

36 Your servant will cross the Jordan with the king for a short distance. Why should the king compensate me in this way?

Just a little way, will thy servant pass over the Jordan with the king, —but wherefore should the king recompense me with this reward?

37 Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and my mother. But look, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you."

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father, and my mother. But here is thy servant Chimham—let him pass over with my lord the king, and do unto him that which may be good in thine eyes.

38 And the king answered, "Kimham will go over with me, and I will do for him whatever I consider appropriate, and whatever you require of me I will do for you."

Then said the king, With me, shall Chimham pass over, and, I, will do unto him that which shall be good in thine eyes, —and, whatsoever thou shalt choose to lay upon me, I will do for thee.

39 All the people crossed over the Jordan, but the king remained. Then the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.

And, when all the people had passed over the Jordan, then, the king, passed over, —and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him, and he returned unto his own place.

40 So the king went over to Gilgal, and Kimham went over with him. All the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half the people of Israel.

And the king passed over to Gilgal, and, Chimham, passed over with him, —and, all the people of Judah, escorted the king, yea moreover, half the people of Israel.

41 Look, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king, and his household, over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?"

Then lo! all the men of Israel, were coming unto the king, —and they said unto the king—Why did our brethren the men of Judah steal thee away, and escort the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?

42 The men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's cost? Has he given us a gift? Or has he brought us a portion?"

And all the men of Judah made answer unto the men of Israel—Because the king is, near of kin, unto us, wherefore, then, is it, that ye are angry over this matter? Have we, eaten, at the king’s cost? or hath he, bestowed any gifts, on us?

43 Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, "We have ten shares in the king, and we are the firstborn rather than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?" But the comments of the men of Judah were more forceful than the comments of the men of Israel.

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said—Ten parts, have we in the king, therefore, even in David, have we more right than ye. Why, then, made ye light of us, so that our word was not heard first as to bringing back our king? And, the words of the men of Judah, were fiercer than, the words of the men of Israel.